Bleep Labs Thingamagoop 2

A
few years back, fellow Austinite and circuit-bending prodigy, Dr. Bleep wowed
both the geek-toy and musical instrument community with an ingenious little device
called the Thingamagoop (reviewed in the April ’08 issue of Keyboard). Looking like a small robot with
a flexible LED “antenna,” the original Thingamagoop was part analog noisemaker,
part 21st-century theremin, and all fun. The ’Goop sold literally thousands of
units, which is nothing short of extraordinary for a handmade analog gadget.

Last
fall, just before the holidays, Bleep Labs ripped the wrapping off the latest
incarnation of the Thingamagoop, and boy, was it worth the wait.

The
original included an analog oscillator that spewed a dirty square wave, which
was in turn modulated by an LFO with either square or random waveforms. The
pitch was controlled by light; the more intense the source, the higher the
pitch. That’s where the LED antenna — called a “LEDacle” — comes in. Its
proximity to the Thingamagoop’s “eye” sensor determined the pitch, though
melodic performance wasn’t really an option due to the sensitivity of its
photo-resistor (and ambient light considerations).

This
year’s model ratchets the original idea up a few notches and makes the
Thingamagoop 2 a veritable fountain of sonic inspiration. Diehard fans of the
original will be happy that the LEDacle and light-to-pitch control are still in
place, but the tone generating circuitry is an order of magnitude more complex
— and more useful.

For
starters, the analog VCO can be controlled directly by the photocell or by a
digital signal courtesy an Arduino chip. (arduino.cc) If you’re an übergeek,
you’ll be aware that this means the digital behavior can be modified and
reprogrammed to your heart’s content, provided you have the know-how and tools
to reprogram the chip — definitely not for the faint of heart. For less
technically inclined users, this digital mode delivers five different effects,
continuously variable from a single knob. The effects smoothly shift between
the five modes in the following order: Sample-and-Hold, Arpeggio 1, Arpeggio 2,
White Noise, and Bit-Crushed digital data. The first three modes deliver
musically pitched results that you can easily record into a DAW or sampler,
then fine-tuned into something more traditional. The last two modes are more
experimental. White noise creates classic “computer” random effects, while the
bit-crushed mode is perfect for straight-up dirty techno.

The
Mod section includes a three-position switch for off, square and triangle
options. The square mode is basically an amplitude LFO that ranges from standard
low-frequency fare all the way into audio rate modulation for ring mod effects.
The triangle mode switches the LFO to pulse-width modulation – instantly making
the sound creamy, fat and thick with a hint of that trance lead vibe. Pushed
into the audio ranges, the triangle PWM adds a sideband-infused crunchiness
that’s usually the domain of modular gear.

In
the realm of performance options, the LEDacle gets an upgrade with variable
rate ramp and random options for pulsing the light source for further
modulation fun. In addition, there’s a nifty trigger button on the side that
gates the audio output for rhythmic effects0. As to construction, the thing is
built like a tank, with a solid aluminum casing and knobs that feel robust. The
speaker’s a lot
louder too.

While
these revisions give the Thingamagoop 2 a level of sound quality and
flexibility that’s light years ahead of its predecessor, there’s one final
trick up its robotic sleeve: CV in and out. This means you can control the
relative pitch of this baby directly from a voltage-controlled analog synth
like my vintage Roland SH-101 or newer Doepfer Dark Energy (reviewed here).
Granted, the pitch tracking is sloppy as heck and doesn’t conform to any
volt-per-octave standard, but it does mean you can sequence tonal patterns — or
even use the CV out of the Thingamagoop 2 to control the pitch of a giant
modular synth, which is seriously nifty for a box in this price range.

I
swung by Wolfgang Gartner’s studio a few weeks back and let him take the Thingamagoop
2 out for a spin. His response: “For $195 this level of inspiration is an
absolute steal. I want one!”